diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/config.py b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/config.py
index c58f722bc..378e85522 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/config.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/config.py
@@ -4,17 +4,12 @@
 # This source code is licensed under the terms described in the LICENSE file in
 # the root directory of this source tree.
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
-
 from llama_models.schema_utils import json_schema_type
-
-from llama_stack.distribution.request_headers import annotate_header
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 
 
 class TogetherHeaderExtractor(BaseModel):
-    api_key: annotate_header(
-        "X-LlamaStack-Together-ApiKey", str, "The API Key for the request"
-    )
+    together_api_key: str
 
 
 @json_schema_type
diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/together.py b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/together.py
index cafca3fdf..18c83aada 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/together.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/inference/together/together.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from llama_stack.apis.inference import *  # noqa: F403
 from llama_stack.providers.utils.inference.augment_messages import (
     augment_messages_for_tools,
 )
+from llama_stack.distribution.request_headers import get_request_provider_data
 
 from .config import TogetherImplConfig
 
@@ -97,6 +98,16 @@ class TogetherInferenceAdapter(Inference):
         stream: Optional[bool] = False,
         logprobs: Optional[LogProbConfig] = None,
     ) -> AsyncGenerator:
+
+        together_api_key = None
+        provider_data = get_request_provider_data()
+        if provider_data is None or not provider_data.together_api_key:
+            raise ValueError(
+                'Pass Together API Key in the header X-LlamaStack-ProviderData as { "together_api_key": <your api key>}'
+            )
+        together_api_key = provider_data.together_api_key
+
+        client = Together(api_key=together_api_key)
         # wrapper request to make it easier to pass around (internal only, not exposed to API)
         request = ChatCompletionRequest(
             model=model,
@@ -116,7 +127,7 @@ class TogetherInferenceAdapter(Inference):
 
         if not request.stream:
             # TODO: might need to add back an async here
-            r = self.client.chat.completions.create(
+            r = client.chat.completions.create(
                 model=together_model,
                 messages=self._messages_to_together_messages(messages),
                 stream=False,
@@ -151,7 +162,7 @@ class TogetherInferenceAdapter(Inference):
             ipython = False
             stop_reason = None
 
-            for chunk in self.client.chat.completions.create(
+            for chunk in client.chat.completions.create(
                 model=together_model,
                 messages=self._messages_to_together_messages(messages),
                 stream=True,
diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/safety/together/together.py b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/safety/together/together.py
index 223377073..15b6bb3a1 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/adapters/safety/together/together.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/adapters/safety/together/together.py
@@ -6,9 +6,16 @@
 
 from together import Together
 
+from llama_models.llama3.api.datatypes import *  # noqa: F403
+from llama_stack.apis.safety import (
+    RunShieldResponse,
+    Safety,
+    SafetyViolation,
+    ViolationLevel,
+)
 from llama_stack.distribution.request_headers import get_request_provider_data
 
-from .config import TogetherProviderDataValidator, TogetherSafetyConfig
+from .config import TogetherSafetyConfig
 
 
 class TogetherSafetyImpl(Safety):
@@ -24,21 +31,13 @@ class TogetherSafetyImpl(Safety):
         if shield_type != "llama_guard":
             raise ValueError(f"shield type {shield_type} is not supported")
 
-        provider_data = get_request_provider_data()
-
         together_api_key = None
-        if provider_data is not None:
-            if not isinstance(provider_data, TogetherProviderDataValidator):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    'Pass Together API Key in the header X-LlamaStack-ProviderData as { "together_api_key": <your api key>}'
-                )
-
-            together_api_key = provider_data.together_api_key
-        if not together_api_key:
-            together_api_key = self.config.api_key
-
-        if not together_api_key:
-            raise ValueError("The API key must be provider in the header or config")
+        provider_data = get_request_provider_data()
+        if provider_data is None or not provider_data.together_api_key:
+            raise ValueError(
+                'Pass Together API Key in the header X-LlamaStack-ProviderData as { "together_api_key": <your api key>}'
+            )
+        together_api_key = provider_data.together_api_key
 
         # messages can have role assistant or user
         api_messages = []
@@ -62,7 +61,9 @@ async def get_safety_response(
 
     response_text = response.choices[0].message.content
     if response_text == "safe":
-        return None
+        return SafetyViolation(
+            violation_level=ViolationLevel.INFO, user_message="safe", metadata={}
+        )
 
     parts = response_text.split("\n")
     if len(parts) != 2:
diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/registry/inference.py b/llama_stack/providers/registry/inference.py
index 31b3e2c2d..9e7ed90f7 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/registry/inference.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/registry/inference.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def available_providers() -> List[ProviderSpec]:
                 ],
                 module="llama_stack.providers.adapters.inference.together",
                 config_class="llama_stack.providers.adapters.inference.together.TogetherImplConfig",
-                header_extractor_class="llama_stack.providers.adapters.inference.together.TogetherHeaderExtractor",
+                provider_data_validator="llama_stack.providers.adapters.safety.together.TogetherProviderDataValidator",
             ),
         ),
     ]